Posts tagged military

In order to defend itself against small drones, China built a laser-based system that can shoot down the compact aircraft up to 1.2 miles away. According to the official Xinhua news agency, the tech can bring down the rogue flying machines within five seconds of locating them at altitudes of up to...

Drones already give troops valuable data about enemies and devastated areas, but the existing vehicles have their limits; big aerial drones can't see inside buildings, and their ground-based counterparts can't get over rough terrain. Well, CyPhy Works might just have reached a happy balance betwee...

You've seen what DARPA's slimmer, lighter tanks of the future could look like and how they could evade RPGs -- now, you'll also see what's inside the high-tech war vehicle. As you'd expect, DARPA plans to design an advanced cockpit to go with the advanced tank, with a huge HD display and lots of a...

Usually when we talk about virtual reality on Engadget, we talk about it in terms of entertainment, but it's important to remember that the technology can be much more than a mere toy. It's ability to substitute reality for any imaginable experience has been shown to have real, measurable effects ...

We've seen several attempts at making jetpacks that fly, but over at Arizona State University, a team is developing one for those who prefer staying closer to the ground. The DARPA-funded project (naturally) is called 4MM or 4 minute mile, and it aims to develop a jetpack that can provide soldiers...

When someone says "exoskeleton," it's easy to imagine a clunky contraption made of metal, like the one we typically see in the news courtesy of various research groups, or in movies like Edge of Tomorrow. The exoskeleton that Harvard's Wyss Institute is developing, though, doesn't look like it was...

Boeing has a pretty storied history with lasers and now its testing one that can take out UAVs and rockets regardless of where it's installed. A recent trial run of the tech was conducted in Florida under some pretty grueling conditions (heavy fog, rain and wind), to prove that even a lower-power...

Strange as it may seem, wars aren't just fought with bullets and bombs anymore. Tweets and shares can at times be equally potent, and that's probably why Ukraine mounted a social offensive yesterday after Russian troops began engaging with domestic forces in the border town of Novoazovsk. The coun...

Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras launched their own news site, The Intercept, to post high-profile leaks without worrying about the hassles that can come with publishing through major media outlets. They don't have to worry that an outside editor will put the kibosh on an Edward Snowden story due...

While it may not be a full suit of high-tech gadgetry like Iron Man dons, the US Navy is set to test exoskeletons from Lockheed Martin. In the first contract to employs the company's strength-boosting garb for industrial use, two FORTIS exoskeletons will help carry heavy loads for the trial period...

Tanks and other land-based fighting vehicles are typically fitted with layers upon layers of armor for protection, but they move real slow as a result. Since more advanced weapons are being developed to punch holes through thick plating anyway, DARPA wants to find a way to develop faster, more agi...

Inside the University of Washington's Center for Game Science (CGS), there's a department that is making video games for children, and it's funded mostly by DARPA. If you'll recall, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency is the part of the US Department of Defense that looks into emerging te...

In a recent issue of Army Magazine, the possibilities of 3D-printing tech for military use are outlined in great detail. We've already discussed the research into crafting mission-specific weapons, but expanding culinary options for soldiers is high on the to-do list as well. Currently, Meals, Rea...

It's no secret that 3D printing is making big strides for the future of not just technology, but medicine and space exploration as well. And the United States Army is looking to leverage the platform for its warhead production. 3D printing is nothing new to this particular branch of the military, ...

Automakers aren't the only ones working to implement self-driving technology. The US Marine Corps has teamed up with TORC Robotics' (among others) to work on a Jeep-esque option outfitted with the company's Ground Unmanned Support Surrogate system -- or GUSS to save the mouthful. Here, GUSS is use...

Remember DARPA's aquatic drone that would roam the oceans, hunting down stealthy enemy submarines? Defense contractor Leidos has announced that construction has begun on the first of the fleet, with test cruises expected to begin at some point in 2015. Thanks to both a lack of crew facilities and ...

Fighter pilots have access to helmets with amazing abilities. However, they still have to strap on heavy night vision goggles to fly in the dark -- an all too literal pain in the neck. Much to aircrews' relief, BAE Systems wants to make that clunky headgear a distant memory. Its brand new Striker ...

They grow up so fast, don't they? It seems like only yesterday that Boston Dynamics' AlphaDog (aka LS3) robot was finding its legs, and yet it has already gone out on training exercises with the US Marine Corps for the first time. The cargo-hauling machine dutifully trotted behind a Marine squad t...

Soldiers have long dreamed of smart bullets that always hit their targets, and it looks like they're now much closer to getting their wish. DARPA has posted the first footage of EXACTO (Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance), a .50-caliber bullet that uses optical guidance and sensors to home in on its...

DARPA, the government agency known for its robots and other crazy futuristic inventions, just announced a new project that could lead to the quicker development of advanced military vehicles. This new project is called Materials Development for Platforms, and it aims to shorten the timespan betwee...